INSIDE: CELEBRATING OUR BIGGEST HEALTH ADVOCATES LOCAL, PAGE 4
Indians charge through tourney unscathed. Page 11
‘It’s time to remove the stigmas attached to mental illness.’
INSIDE
THE WETUMPKA HERALD Elmore County’s Oldest Newspaper - Established 1898
Wetumpka, AL 36092
50¢
WEDNESDAY • MARCH 30, 2016
THEWETUMPKAHERALD.COM
VOL. 118, NO.10
Commissioner moves to change vote-counting process
By COREY ARWOOD Staff Writer
A majority of the business discussed at Monday’s Elmore County Commission meeting came out of the Highway Department, including updates on the countywide energy-efficiency renovations, as well as budget changes for roadside cleanup programs. However, news of different sort came
later in the meeting. A commissioner reported he had played a major part in bringing about new verification measures for local vote counting, after being involved as the incumbent candidate in the March 1 mishap that nearly resulted in a runoff for his District 4 seat. Joe Faulk said a commitment had been made to him that after the April 12 runoff elections the Probate Office
and the local branch of the Republican Party would compare voting tapes for reporting differences. He said that a number of city and party officials received copies of these paper records after elections; however the measure he proposed was not in place. “What I’ve advocated is, particularly in party elections, that the Republican Party and their leadership, in this case it
would be Vicki Ward who is the chairman, or her designee, would set down at the end of the election, for example on April 12, and compare their tapes with the tapes that the probate office has,” said Faulk. He said had that measure been in place, the error that nearly resulted in a runoff between himself and his opposition, Steve Livingston and Johnny See COMMISSIONER • Page 3
Elmore inmate stabbed to death
Elmore County Career Expo Thursday Local and regional employers expected to attend STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
The Elmore County Career Expo has been planned for both junior and senior students in the area as well as the general public. In the past when each school wanted to host its own career-based event, businesses could not participate in every one, so the decision was made to combine everything into one large event this year. During the morning hours, students from Elmore County High, Holtville High, Stanhope Elmore High, and Wetumpka High are scheduled to visit the expo. After lunch, local private schools and homeschool students have a window of time during which they can attend as well. Several local and regional employers are expected to attend including: • Hyundai • Alabama Power • Madix • Mercedes • Wind Creek Hospitality • Jackson Hospital
Corey Arwood / The Herald
While work has continued, Wetumpka Director of Public Works Tex Grier said a meeting with FEMA and the engineers his department is working with to repair Company Street is set to track progress and determine the next step in repairing the road. A large sinkhole that formed March 17 and has kept the road closed has had a negative impact on business owners along that street.
Company Street remains closed
See JOBS • Page 3
Officials say the deceased was injured in an altercation with another inmate STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
A man serving life in prison in the Elmore Correctional Facility was stabbed and killed Friday and prison officials say a fellow inmate is responsible. The Alabama Department of Corrections said the deadly stabbing occurred at the Elmore Correctional Facility at about 3:30 p.m. Friday after a fight Spears broke out between two inmates. Prison officials report that Johnny Lee Spears, 31, was stabbed during the altercation. Spears succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased by a corrections physician at 5:56 p.m. Latarian Martel Frison, 25, Frison See STABBING • Page 3
Wetumpka Craterfest approaches April 19 rock group Shades of Gray, country artist Bradley Roberson along with the Tyler Braden Band and southern rock artist Markus Fox. Those in attendance may also take part in the first-ever River Region Duck Dash. Participants are encouraged to adopt a rubber duck to race down the Coosa River from the Bibbs Grave Bridge to the Gold Star Park Boat Launch. Cash prizes are awarded to the winners and proceeds made from the adoptions go to the Wetumpka Rotary to benefit local non-profits. Adoptions can be made now or at the event. An arts and crafts station as well
STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
The fourth annual Wetumpka Craterfest is scheduled for Saturday, April 16, in Gold Star Park in downtown Wetumpka. The festival is free and open to the public and will be held rain or shine. Children and adults of all ages are encouraged to attend. The event will feature Georgia native and award-winning singer and songwriter Colt Ford as its headlining act. Other artists scheduled to perform include gospel singer Andrew McCarter, the classic and southern
CONTACT US 334-567-7811 • Fax: 334-567-3284
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as a free Kidzone will be available for children and attendees can take a Crater bus mini-tour, visit the Crater art exhibit and attend lectures. Donations to the event are encouraged to benefit the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce. Sponsors have already been confirmed, however, those interested in a booth may still make a request. The deadline for vendor applications and payments is due by Friday, April 1, at 4 p.m. To request an application or for more information about the event, go online to www.wetumpkachamber. com/Craterfest.
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Tyler Braden and his band will be one of the featured acts at the Fourth Annual Craterfest in April.
Page 2 • MARCH 30, 2016
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
THE WETUMPKA HERALD
Area Calendar
March 30
ESTATE PLANNING WORKSHOP: There will be a free estate planning and asset protection workshop at the Archibald Senior Center. Education workshop presented by local attorney Raley Wiggins. Topics include wills, trusts,
powers of attorney, advance directives, living wills, long-term care, Medicaid qualification, and probate administration. Also, how to protect your assets from: divorce, remarriage, creditors, bankruptcy, and nursing homes. Registration is
Friday night night, April 1 1, 2016 7:00-8:30 pm
Tallassee Church Tallassee Church of of Christ Christ 209 Gilmer Ave Tallassee, Alabama
Singing With The Saints
required. Call (334)625-6774 or online at www.redoaklegalpc. com.
March 31
AFTER HOURS: Wetumpka Depot Business After Hours, Thursday, March, 31 from 5 to 6:30 p.m., at 300 S. Main Street, Wetumpka. CAREER EXPO: The Elmore County Technical Center will be hosting the Elmore County Career Expo at the Wetumpka Civic Center March 31. This event is for our local students during the morning and midday hours (8:00-1:30), and we have a portion of the day reserved for the general public in the afternoon (2:006:00).
Obituaries David Hilton White
April 5
ID BOARD: The city of Tallassee ID Board will meet April 5 at 5:30 p.m. at 1 Twin Creek Drive.
April 9
5K RUN: The Roaring 5K Run is set for Saturday, April 9. Co-Sponsors are Tallassee Lion’s Club and Neptune Technology Group. Proceeds benefit the Lion’s Sight program. Registration begins at 7 a.m. and the race starts at 8 a.m. Early registration is on-line through the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce at tallasseechamber.com
April 9-10
COMBAT ON THE COOSA: 2 Day Crossfit Competition. Individual -Saturday, Team- Sunday. Hosted by Crossfit Intrigue. For more info visit www.thegaragegames.com/combat-on-the-coosa
“Hwy. 9 Since ’89”
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April 15
CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS: There will be an event at Holtville Elementary School April 15 at 1:30 p.m. to bring awareness to child abuse and neglect as April is is Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Awareness Month. he Elmore County Extension, Family Resource Center, Juvenile Judge, DHR Director, Superintendent of Education and many other community partners will be in attendance as well as about 100 elementary students. This is a celebration of all the good work that the schools, churches, agencies and communities do to strengthen families which prevents child maltreatment.
April 16
CRATERFEST: Wetumpka Craterfest & Duck Dash will feature National and local music artists, Kidzone, Arts & Crafts, Crater Bus Mini-Tours, Crater Art Exhibit/ Video Saturday, April 16th from 2-7PM at Gold Star Park. Vendor spaces and sponsorships available! Contact Jamie Young at jyoung@ wetumpkachamber.org or 334-567-4811. REELTOWN REUNION: The Sixth Reeltown High School Reunion of the Classes from 1950-1970 will hold its 20-Year Class Reunion on April 16 in the original Reeltown High School Auditorium. The Reunion begins at 10 a.m. for a time to meet, greet and tour the school.
The “Assembly” will begin in the auditorium at 11 a.m. The RHS Jazz Band will be guest and play a few jazz tunes. Donations will be received for new Rebel Pride Marching Band uniforms. All donations greatly appreciated. Welcome, recognitions, etc., will follow. Please bring your “ole fashion brown bag/sack lunch” with a drink. No meal will be available. Classes will meet after assembly in the cafeteria for their sack lunch meal. Tours of the school and grounds will be available following the assembly and lunch.
NOTICE TO BRIGHT HOUSE NETWORKS CABLE CUSTOMERS This notice is to inform our Bright House Networks customers of upcoming changes to their cable programming lineup. Occasionally our agreements with cable channels and television stations come up for renewal. While we do not anticipate any loss or disruption of service, regulations require us to notify you of the possibility of losing programming. Therefore, please be advised that our agreements with ActionMAX East, Cinemax East/West, HBO Comedy East, HBO East/West, HBO Family East/West, HBO Go, HBO Signature East/West, HBO Zone East, HBO2 East/West, MAX Go, MoreMAX East/West, Music Choice channels 901-950, RFD-TV, and ThrillerMAX East remain in effect on a month-to-month basis, but we may have to cease carriage in all formats if our authority to continue is withheld.
COUSINS INSURANCE AGENCY
Our agreement with Outdoor Channel expires on March 31, 2016 and we may have to cease carriage in all formats if our authority to continue is withheld. We are working diligently at this time to come to acceptable and fair terms with all these channels.
234 HILL STREET, WETUMPKA, ALABAMA
On or after April 1, 2016, ENCORE, ENCORE Action, ENCORE Black, ENCORE Classic, ENCORE Family, ENCORE Suspense, and ENCORE Westerns will rebrand to STARZ ENCORE, STARZ ENCORE Action, STARZ ENCORE Black, STARZ ENCORE Classic, STARZ ENCORE Family, STARZ ENCORE Suspense, and STARZ ENCORE Westerns.
“Serving the community since 1914”
On or after May 20, 2016, Tennis Channel will be available on the Premier Channels tier on channels 755 and 1433.
TEL: 334.567.8493 EMAIL: CIA@COUSINSINS.COM
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Lake Martin Properties
April 10
CHURCH HOMECOMING: Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Eclectic will host homecoming April 10 at 10:30 a.m. The Joy Masters will be singing and there will be lunch afterwards.
WHITE, David Hilton, 74, passed away at his residence in Wetumpka on Friday, March 25, 2016. Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 28, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. from New Home Baptist Church near Elmore, with Rev. Eric Sutton officiating. Burial will follow in New Home Cemetery with Gassett Funeral Home of Wetumpka HIlton directing. Survivors include his wife, Bonnie White; children, Ronnie White, Jerita (Norm) Young, Jackie (Gordon) Bowman, and Emily (John) Perdue; brothers, Billy White and Sammy (Brenda) White; grandchildren, David Houseman, Geoffrey Young, Caleigh Young, Victoria White, Alexis White and Alexandria White. Pallbearers will be Jimmy White, Eddie White, Jamie White, Ronnie White, Ryan Byers, and Chris Byers. Visitation will be from 1-2 p.m. Monday at New Home Baptist Church. Online Guest Book available at www.gassettfuneralhome. net
On or after May 31, 2016, iN Demand 4, iN Demand 5, and iN Demand 6 will cease operations and be dropped from channels 804, 805, and 806 respectively on the Pay-Per-View tier.
For more information, please call 866-876-1872 or visit our website at brighthouse.com.
Serving Lake Martin, Tallassee and the Surrounding Area
Elmore – Wetumpka Herald
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Commissioner
continued from page 1
Ford for the District 4 seat would have been caught the night of the elections as opposed to a week later. County Engineer Richie Beyer said in the past his department had received $100,000 annually through a grant program with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management for right-of-way clean up programs. However after budget cuts in the last two legislative cycles, Beyer said that was ended and another grant program for $125,000 over two-and-a-half years was developed. He said most of the grant agreements end at the end of the month, and if the Commission approved would allow them to receive up to $100K. However, Beyer said they do not typically receive the maximum amount. “This will not impact us, it will help keep us with our litter crews and our cleanup and cleaning up the right-of-ways,” said Beyer to the Commission. Another item later approved was what Grace
McDuffie, county administrator, explained as sort of housekeeping details needed for a grant agreement to secure payroll funding for the Central Alabama Drug Task Force, in which McDuffie said the CADTF required a budget amendment to report the funding to be qualified for the grant. The 2016 Local Road Program of the Highway Department which lists the roads that are scheduled to receive work in the current year, was also approved. And what was called “bond issue parameters,” on the countywide energy upgrade and modernization effort in county facilities was approved. Beyer gave the update as to what companies his department had received information back from regarding interest on the bond and the multi-million dollar renovation project.
Stabbing
continued from page 1
was detained as a suspect in the stabbing. Frison is serving a 20-year sentence for a 2008 conviction for second-degree robbery in Mobile County. Spears was serving a life sentence for murder in Madison County. Officials reported that no other inmates or corrections officers were injured in the assault. Investigators from the Alabama Department of Corrections are still investigating to learn more about the cause of the stabbing and how the inmate may have been able to secure the weapon used in the attack. The Elmore Correctional Facility, built in 1981, is a medium custody level prison. The prison was designed to hold 600 inmates, but has 1,173 prisoners, or 195 percent of designed capacity.
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley used the incident to underscore the need for changes in the state’s prison system and promote his prison reform bill. “(Friday’s) stabbing at Elmore Correctional Facility is another sad reminder of the crisis inside the prison system,” Bentley said in a released statement. “The violence is spiraling out of control and, left unaddressed, poses a major threat to public safety. The Prison Transformation Initiative is a good common sense plan to address the challenges in the prison system and make the system safer for corrections officers and inmates. We cannot continue to have incidents of violence like the stabbing tonight or the riots a few weeks ago.”
Jobs • Community Hospital • Buffalo Rock • ITS • AIDT robotics training unit Many other businesses and several staffing agencies are expected to represent a wide range of professional and technical-based careers. The student time slots are focused mostly on exploration and investigation of potential future careers as well as educational pathways to reach those occupations. For the many seniors looking for immediate employment after graduation, this expo can also serve them well by giving those students an opportunity to have face-to-face meetings with potential future employers - all in one room, during their school day. During the student portion for Elmore County Schools, a mobile computer lab will be available for those who would like to begin applying for a job that requires an online application. Those students may also use computer labs at their own schools, but this gives them an additional opportunity and time while someone who can assist will be onsite. Some businesses are participating solely in the student portion or the general public portion, while some will stay for both. This event was intended to be a best use of time for our local employers so they could
Need your business to
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continued from page 1
choose when they were available and what type of outreach they needed at the moment. When the doors open to the public at 2 p.m., the focus will be on providing available job opportunities to the individuals who visit.
Anyone interested in applying for a job with one of the participating businesses should wear appropriate job-seeking or interview attire and bring multiple copies of their resumes. The public may visit between 2-6 p.m. to
speak with those representatives. The Elmore County Technical Center is hosting the event in conjunction with the Elmore County Economic Development Authority and the City of Wetumpka.
• Wetumpka Herald • Eclectic Observer • Tallassee Tribune • Alexander City Outlook • Dadeville Record
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Kenneth Boone, Publisher John Peeler, Managing Editor Opinions expressed in guest columns and letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the management of Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc.
OPINION
Page 4 • MARCH 30, 2016
Our
“Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.” --Thomas Jefferson
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
THE WETUMPKA HERALD
The Herald strives to report the news honestly, fairly and with integrity, to take a leadership role and act as a positive influence in our community, to promote business, to provide for the welfare of our employees, to strive for excellence in everything we do and, above all, to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves.
Opinion
Does Bentley saga warrant a resignation?
B
efore he became governor, Robert Bentley was a little known member of the Alabama House of Representatives. He climbed aboard the state stage in 2010 with his folksy ways, his abhorrence of new taxes and his pledge not to accept his salary as governor until Alabama reached full employment. It was largely that pledge that appealed to Alabama voters and propelled Bentley to upset the odds-on Republican favorite Bradley Byrne before besting Democrat Ron Sparks in the general election. Today, the folksy Robert Bentley is no more. His wife, Dianne, ended their marriage of 50 years almost a year ago and rumors of a Bentley affair started to swirl. Last week the former director of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Spencer Collier, who Bentley had fired days before, said at a press conference he had seen sexually charged texts and heard similar conversations between Bentley and his senior political advisor, Rebekah Caldwell Mason. Bentley, however, has denied any “physical affair” with Mason. Still more information came out Monday. A story on a site called AlReporter.com cites sources claiming Bentley instructed members of law enforcement to use the National Crime Information Center and Legal Enforcement Tactical System databases to find damning information on persons who outed the governor’s relationship with Mason and Mason, at the governor’s direction, had access to almost all state assets, including state trooper transportation and the state airplane. NCIC and LETS are for responsible use by law enforcement in the course of their jobs. They are not to be used willy-nilly at the beck, call and direction of powerful politicians. If the accusations about Mason’s degree of access are true, it’s simply mind-boggling. And, depending on the reasons for her use of these, possibly illegal. If even half of the accusations about Bentley are true, he has behaved like an adolescent boy in pursuit of a first love. He has likely done great – if not irreparable damage – to two families. He has lost any reputation he had and has further sullied the reputation of the state the people who elected him hold dear. And it’s possible he’s broken the law and asked others to do likewise. None of this has been proven, but the hearsay is deafening. We have sex, lies and audiotapes. Do we need a resignation?
It’s time to remove the stigmas attached to mental illness
A
nxiety and depression: two words that are guaranteed to make “happy” people uncomfortable. Why? Because happy people don’t suffer from either. We’re happy and we may find it hard to register that not everyone gets to live with a free pass to happiness. It’s just not within everyone’s reach. This is a concept lost on many of us. After all, why can’t these people just be happy? Let’s crank it up a notch, shall we? Call to mind words like manic depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia and now you’ve gone and made someone downright fearful and scared. After all, being around someone with bipolar disorder means they’re “crazy,” right? They are and therefore we should run for the hills. Us happy people need to stick together. The fact is, rather than looking at the fact doctors have long substantiated mental illness is indeed legitimate, we judge, and we assume. We stigmatize
LIZ ELY Guest Columnist
and we have no sympathy or understanding for those who must go to battle each day with such illnesses. Individuals who aren’t as “happy” as the rest of us are often confronted with distrust from peers, friends and family members. They are ostracized from their social circle in the blink of an eye. We theorize that perhaps they are “manipulative” by nature – are they merely faking this “illness” for attention? Of course we also think about how absolutely pitiful these individuals are. We idly gossip about their pitiful state as we sit proudly from our happy seats, full of disdain and dislike because these people just can’t get it together. Why can’t they get it together? Because they can’t, that’s why. Not with-
out the help of a good doctor and proper medication. The truth of the matter is that these illnesses cannot be prevented. Science has proven that. So why the stigmas and why the pitiful glares we give to those who are depressed or anxious? It’s certainly not their fault. Research has proven that it can be, in fact, hereditary. No one is to blame here, except genetics and chance. It’s strange to me that we still view this as taboo even though 43.8 million people suffer at least one serious case of mental illness annually. It’s still a foreign concept for some, and that’s to no one’s benefit. It’s time that we remove the shame. Remove the shame that we, in our happy seats, and even the sufferers have of not being able to get it together. Everybody is trying in some capacity to get it together. Tt’s just that some people’s problems go deeper than externals. Trust that no one wants to live a life of misery by choice. Instead of assuming someone is acting “strange,”
“moody,” or just plain “weird,” how about giving him or her the benefit of the doubt? Instead of assuming they can’t get it together, how about we acknowledge how brave they are for forging ahead when the odds are stacked against them? It takes a daily dose of courage to get through the day when you’re suffering from a mental illness, and we should acknowledge their bravery and be a support for them – allowing them to freely discuss what they’re dealing with and be open to understanding that while us happy folks don’t have this “problem,” it is something that is relatively normal. It’s time we remove the judgments, the assumptions and the stigmas. Let’s embrace those who struggle with something out of their control. Again, it’s no one’s fault. Happy people unite: it’s time to be a friend, not a foe. Liz Ely is a freelance writer for The Herald
334-567-7811 • Fax 334-567-3284 email: news@thewetumpkaherald.com THE WETUMPKA HERALD (681-260) is published twice weekly on Wednesday and Saturday by Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc., 548 Cherokee Road, Alexander City, AL 35010. Periodical postage paid at Wetumpka, Alabama. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Wetumpka Herald, P.O. Box 99, Wetumpka, AL 36092-0099. ISSN # 1536-688X. We reserve the right to refuse to print any advertisement, news story, photograph or any other material submitted to us for any reason or no reason at all. •Obituaries - $.25 per word per paper. Additional $15 charge for a photo per paper. (Herald, Weekend, Observer, Tribune). •Weddings/Engagements - $.25 per word per paper. $15 charge for a 2-column photo. •Birth Announcements - $.25 per word per paper. $15 charge for a photo.
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Some exciting occurences in this year's race and politics
T
his has been an exciting election year when it comes to presidential politics. It has been an extraordinarily unusual and unpredictable presidential contest to say the least, especially on the Republican side. The GOP race began with an extraordinarily large field. There were 17 candidates as the race began, all with exceptional credentials. The one with the least experience and political resume is the one left standing. One Donald J. Trump has been the story of the year. As we head into the last three months leading up to the nominating convention, conventional wisdom has Donald Trump being the Republican nominee and Hillary Clinton being the Democratic nominee. If that indeed is the case, you will have two brash New Yorkers pitted against each other with the probability of a Titanic, colorful dual headed into the fall campaign. It will be a fun show to watch. It will not be lacking for controversy, acrimony or entertainment. We will have been an important part of the nominating process here in the Heart of Dixie. On Super Tuesday we were a part of the nationwide momentum that probably propelled Trump and Clinton to their parties’ respective nominations. We seem to be
STEVE FLOWERS Guest Columnist
lockstep with the rest of the country as we have joined the Trump and Clinton trains. In the past several presidential election cycles we in the South have been different than the rest of the country, particularly on the GOP ledger. We have sided with the evangelical candidate in the race. Not so this year. We here in Alabama, as well as all of our sister southern states, chose Trump in a resounding fashion. Donald Trump, a less than humble, worldly casino owner and developer, won every Alabama county garnering 44 percent of the vote and collecting 36 of Alabama’s 50 delegates to the GOP convention. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the avowed evangelical candidate, was a distant second with 21 percent of the vote and will be allotted 13 delegates. Marco Rubio was third with 17 percent. Ben Carson got 10 percent and Governor Bentley’s choice, Ohio Governor John Kasich, received 4 percent. Trump’s campaign brought out a record turnout on primary election day, as well as a record-break-
ing crowd in Madison/ Huntsville the Sunday before the primaries. There were an estimated 25,000 people in attendance in Madison County, where our popular Junior U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions endorsed Trump. He had over 30,000 fans show up in Mobile when he first began his campaign last year. There have not been crowds that large in Alabama politics since the Wallace era. There were 60 percent more people voting in our Republican primary than in 2008 and 40 percent more than 2012. These 865,000 Republican votes cast in our GOP primary - a record - were primarily due to the fervor of the Trump campaign. Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton beat socialist Bernie Sanders 80 percent to 20 percent due largely to 90 percent support from Alabama’s African-American voters. There were 382,000 Democratic voters on March 1. Our Senior U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby won the Republican nomination to an unprecedented sixth six-year term with a very impressive victory. Shelby received 65 percent of the vote against four opponents. All four were political novices. However, getting 65 percent with four challengers is very strong. Four incum-
bent Republican Congresspersons, who were challenged in the primary, won overwhelmingly. U.S. Representatives Robert Aderholt in the 4th district, Mike Rogers in the 3rd, Martha Roby in the 2nd, and Bradley Byrne in the 1st won big. Martha Roby and Bradley Byrne were challenged by extreme right wing candidates but prevailed impressively. PSC President Twinkle Cavanaugh defeated challenger Terry Dunn by a 63 to 37 margin. She will continue at the helm of the three-member utility regulating panel. Longtime state school board members Stephanie Bell and Ella Bell, both of Montgomery, won reelection. Shelby County approved Sunday liquor sales by at 4 to 1 margin and two of the last dry counties in the state, Clay and Chilton, went wet. These two referendums portend how overwhelmingly Alabamians would vote in favor of the lottery/casino deal if allowed to vote on this issue. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. Steve may be reached at www. steveflowers.us.
Kenneth Boone, Publisher John Peeler, Managing Editor Opinions expressed in guest columns and letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the management of Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc.
OPINION
Page 4 • MARCH 30, 2016
Our
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The Herald strives to report the news honestly, fairly and with integrity, to take a leadership role and act as a positive influence in our community, to promote business, to provide for the welfare of our employees, to strive for excellence in everything we do and, above all, to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves.
Opinion
Does Bentley saga warrant a resignation?
B
efore he became governor, Robert Bentley was a little known member of the Alabama House of Representatives. He climbed aboard the state stage in 2010 with his folksy ways, his abhorrence of new taxes and his pledge not to accept his salary as governor until Alabama reached full employment. It was largely that pledge that appealed to Alabama voters and propelled Bentley to upset the odds-on Republican favorite Bradley Byrne before besting Democrat Ron Sparks in the general election. Today, the folksy Robert Bentley is no more. His wife, Dianne, ended their marriage of 50 years almost a year ago and rumors of a Bentley affair started to swirl. Last week the former director of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Spencer Collier, who Bentley had fired days before, said at a press conference he had seen sexually charged texts and heard similar conversations between Bentley and his senior political advisor, Rebekah Caldwell Mason. Bentley, however, has denied any “physical affair” with Mason. Still more information came out Monday. A story on a site called AlReporter.com cites sources claiming Bentley instructed members of law enforcement to use the National Crime Information Center and Legal Enforcement Tactical System databases to find damning information on persons who outed the governor’s relationship with Mason and Mason, at the governor’s direction, had access to almost all state assets, including state trooper transportation and the state airplane. NCIC and LETS are for responsible use by law enforcement in the course of their jobs. They are not to be used willy-nilly at the beck, call and direction of powerful politicians. If the accusations about Mason’s degree of access are true, it’s simply mind-boggling. And, depending on the reasons for her use of these, possibly illegal. If even half of the accusations about Bentley are true, he has behaved like an adolescent boy in pursuit of a first love. He has likely done great – if not irreparable damage – to two families. He has lost any reputation he had and has further sullied the reputation of the state the people who elected him hold dear. And it’s possible he’s broken the law and asked others to do likewise. None of this has been proven, but the hearsay is deafening. We have sex, lies and audiotapes. Do we need a resignation?
It’s time to remove the stigmas attached to mental illness
A
nxiety and depression: two words that are guaranteed to make “happy” people uncomfortable. Why? Because happy people don’t suffer from either. We’re happy and we may find it hard to register that not everyone gets to live with a free pass to happiness. It’s just not within everyone’s reach. This is a concept lost on many of us. After all, why can’t these people just be happy? Let’s crank it up a notch, shall we? Call to mind words like manic depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia and now you’ve gone and made someone downright fearful and scared. After all, being around someone with bipolar disorder means they’re “crazy,” right? They are and therefore we should run for the hills. Us happy people need to stick together. The fact is, rather than looking at the fact doctors have long substantiated mental illness is indeed legitimate, we judge, and we assume. We stigmatize
LIZ ELY Guest Columnist
and we have no sympathy or understanding for those who must go to battle each day with such illnesses. Individuals who aren’t as “happy” as the rest of us are often confronted with distrust from peers, friends and family members. They are ostracized from their social circle in the blink of an eye. We theorize that perhaps they are “manipulative” by nature – are they merely faking this “illness” for attention? Of course we also think about how absolutely pitiful these individuals are. We idly gossip about their pitiful state as we sit proudly from our happy seats, full of disdain and dislike because these people just can’t get it together. Why can’t they get it together? Because they can’t, that’s why. Not with-
out the help of a good doctor and proper medication. The truth of the matter is that these illnesses cannot be prevented. Science has proven that. So why the stigmas and why the pitiful glares we give to those who are depressed or anxious? It’s certainly not their fault. Research has proven that it can be, in fact, hereditary. No one is to blame here, except genetics and chance. It’s strange to me that we still view this as taboo even though 43.8 million people suffer at least one serious case of mental illness annually. It’s still a foreign concept for some, and that’s to no one’s benefit. It’s time that we remove the shame. Remove the shame that we, in our happy seats, and even the sufferers have of not being able to get it together. Everybody is trying in some capacity to get it together. Tt’s just that some people’s problems go deeper than externals. Trust that no one wants to live a life of misery by choice. Instead of assuming someone is acting “strange,”
“moody,” or just plain “weird,” how about giving him or her the benefit of the doubt? Instead of assuming they can’t get it together, how about we acknowledge how brave they are for forging ahead when the odds are stacked against them? It takes a daily dose of courage to get through the day when you’re suffering from a mental illness, and we should acknowledge their bravery and be a support for them – allowing them to freely discuss what they’re dealing with and be open to understanding that while us happy folks don’t have this “problem,” it is something that is relatively normal. It’s time we remove the judgments, the assumptions and the stigmas. Let’s embrace those who struggle with something out of their control. Again, it’s no one’s fault. Happy people unite: it’s time to be a friend, not a foe. Liz Ely is a freelance writer for The Herald
334-567-7811 • Fax 334-567-3284 email: news@thewetumpkaherald.com THE WETUMPKA HERALD (681-260) is published twice weekly on Wednesday and Saturday by Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc., 548 Cherokee Road, Alexander City, AL 35010. Periodical postage paid at Wetumpka, Alabama. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Wetumpka Herald, P.O. Box 99, Wetumpka, AL 36092-0099. ISSN # 1536-688X. We reserve the right to refuse to print any advertisement, news story, photograph or any other material submitted to us for any reason or no reason at all. •Obituaries - $.25 per word per paper. Additional $15 charge for a photo per paper. (Herald, Weekend, Observer, Tribune). •Weddings/Engagements - $.25 per word per paper. $15 charge for a 2-column photo. •Birth Announcements - $.25 per word per paper. $15 charge for a photo.
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Some exciting occurrences in this year's race and politics
T
his has been an exciting election year when it comes to presidential politics. It has been an extraordinarily unusual and unpredictable presidential contest to say the least, especially on the Republican side. The GOP race began with an extraordinarily large field. There were 17 candidates as the race began, all with exceptional credentials. The one with the least experience and political resume is the one left standing. One Donald J. Trump has been the story of the year. As we head into the last three months leading up to the nominating convention, conventional wisdom has Donald Trump being the Republican nominee and Hillary Clinton being the Democratic nominee. If that indeed is the case, you will have two brash New Yorkers pitted against each other with the probability of a Titanic, colorful dual headed into the fall campaign. It will be a fun show to watch. It will not be lacking for controversy, acrimony or entertainment. We will have been an important part of the nominating process here in the Heart of Dixie. On Super Tuesday we were a part of the nationwide momentum that probably propelled Trump and Clinton to their parties’ respective nominations. We seem to be
STEVE FLOWERS Guest Columnist
lockstep with the rest of the country as we have joined the Trump and Clinton trains. In the past several presidential election cycles we in the South have been different than the rest of the country, particularly on the GOP ledger. We have sided with the evangelical candidate in the race. Not so this year. We here in Alabama, as well as all of our sister southern states, chose Trump in a resounding fashion. Donald Trump, a less than humble, worldly casino owner and developer, won every Alabama county garnering 44 percent of the vote and collecting 36 of Alabama’s 50 delegates to the GOP convention. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the avowed evangelical candidate, was a distant second with 21 percent of the vote and will be allotted 13 delegates. Marco Rubio was third with 17 percent. Ben Carson got 10 percent and Governor Bentley’s choice, Ohio Governor John Kasich, received 4 percent. Trump’s campaign brought out a record turnout on primary election day, as well as a record-break-
ing crowd in Madison/ Huntsville the Sunday before the primaries. There were an estimated 25,000 people in attendance in Madison County, where our popular Junior U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions endorsed Trump. He had over 30,000 fans show up in Mobile when he first began his campaign last year. There have not been crowds that large in Alabama politics since the Wallace era. There were 60 percent more people voting in our Republican primary than in 2008 and 40 percent more than 2012. These 865,000 Republican votes cast in our GOP primary - a record - were primarily due to the fervor of the Trump campaign. Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton beat socialist Bernie Sanders 80 percent to 20 percent due largely to 90 percent support from Alabama’s African-American voters. There were 382,000 Democratic voters on March 1. Our Senior U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby won the Republican nomination to an unprecedented sixth six-year term with a very impressive victory. Shelby received 65 percent of the vote against four opponents. All four were political novices. However, getting 65 percent with four challengers is very strong. Four incum-
bent Republican Congresspersons, who were challenged in the primary, won overwhelmingly. U.S. Representatives Robert Aderholt in the 4th district, Mike Rogers in the 3rd, Martha Roby in the 2nd, and Bradley Byrne in the 1st won big. Martha Roby and Bradley Byrne were challenged by extreme right wing candidates but prevailed impressively. PSC President Twinkle Cavanaugh defeated challenger Terry Dunn by a 63 to 37 margin. She will continue at the helm of the three-member utility regulating panel. Longtime state school board members Stephanie Bell and Ella Bell, both of Montgomery, won reelection. Shelby County approved Sunday liquor sales by at 4 to 1 margin and two of the last dry counties in the state, Clay and Chilton, went wet. These two referendums portend how overwhelmingly Alabamians would vote in favor of the lottery/casino deal if allowed to vote on this issue. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. Steve may be reached at www. steveflowers.us.
THE WETUMPKA HERALD
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
MARCH 30, 2016 • Page 5
Important things to know about Humane Society STAFF REPORT Humane Society of Elmore County
T
he Humane Society of Elmore County is a sheltering agency for animals that are brought to us from within Elmore County. We field a lot of calls about stray & nuisance animals, but we do not have the authority to pick up animals as that is the responsibility of the various city and county Animal Control Officers (ACO). Upon request from these officers we will assist in cruelty and neglect cases by helping with the investigation & documentation as to the condition of the animal(s) involved and their recovery pending a court case. If you are in need of animal control assistance for a stray or problem animal, or to report instances of animal neglect or cruelty, please call the appropriate Animal Control Officer below. If you live within the city limits of any of the towns noted below you must call your city contact. If you are not in the city limits of any of the towns listed below or your town is not listed, then call the Elmore County Sheriff’s ACO. Wetumpka: 567-1327 or 567-5321 •Eclectic: 541-2149 • Millbrook: 285-6832 • Coosada: 285-3700 • Tallassee: 283-6586 • Elmore Township: 5145988 •Elmore County Sheriff’s Dispatch: 567-1426 A question we are asked almost daily is, “how long do we keep animals brought to us?” In general stray animals are held at our
HUMANE SOCIETY OF ELMORE COUNTY NEWS facility for seven days in accordance with Section 3-7A-7 of the Alabama Code so that the pet’s owner can come to reclaim it. When a person comes to reclaim an animal we will ask questions to verify that this pet does indeed belong to them because in the eyes of the law pets are ‘property’ and it is our responsibility to safeguard them while they are in our care. This also means we will only release them to the owner unless the owner has given us authorization for another person to pick that pet up. In all cases we will require identification such as a driver’s license before releasing the pet. There are fees associated with reclaiming a pet. If the pet was picked up by an ACO there will be a pick-up fee and in many town ordinances these fees
increase every subsequent pick up. It is important to note that multiple pick-ups can also result in the owner having to go to court. If the pet does not have a current rabies tag on its collar, we will need proof from the owner that the vaccination is current. If the pet (dog, cat or ferret) is overdue on its rabies vaccination there will be a $10 fee towards a rabies vaccination that can be done by any area veterinarian. Last, there is a boarding fee to cover the costs we have incurred housing and caring for your pet and we charge $15/day per each dog or cat. For livestock there may be an additional hauling fee if we have had to assist the animal control in transporting the animal using the shelter livestock trailer. Livestock boarding fees can range from $15 - $25 per day depending on the species and feed requirements. Alabama Law (Section 3-7A-4) requires that dogs & cats have their rabies tag attached to their collar or harness at
all times and if the tag is current, your pet will generally be reunited with you the same day - it works! We further encourage you to talk to your veterinarian about microchipping your pet to help us get it home to you in the event it loses its tag or collar. If you have lost your pet call us to report it that same day at 334567-3377, post it to our “Lost & Found Pets in Elmore County AL” Facebook page and/or send us an email to hselco@bellsouth.net. We cannot stress enough the importance of photos, so if you don’t already have handy digital photos on your phone or computer, please take some soon. Photos can truly make the difference as one person’s description can be very different from what another person is interpreting. In the end there is nothing we truly like more than reuniting a lost pet with its very relieved and happy owner.
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THE WETUMPKA HERALD
The greatest joke of all, is a joke on Satan
L
ike jokes? Try this one: A young boy stopped at the pastor’s office to give him a bag of donuts his mother had just cooked. The pastor looked in the bag and asked to boy to wait while he wrote a thank-you note for six donuts. The boy replied, “Do you think you could write it for a dozen?” That might not be the greatest joke of all time, but Easter is. Think about what a joke Easter is on Satan. For thousands of years, the joke was always on us humans. Satan convinced us that we could be gods, and we fell for it, hook. line and sinker. This “joke” brought sin and death into the world. Satan’s joke expanded as the people who cried, “Hosanna” on the road to Jerusalem, assembled at Pilate’s door just a few days later to shout, “Crucify him.” And, they did. How Satan must have laughed as they laid Jesus in the tomb! Deatsville Baptist 184 Church St., Deatsville Eclectic Baptist Church 203 Claud Rd., Eclectic 541-4444 Faith Baptist 64 Chapel Rd., Wetumpka 567-4417 First Baptist Church 205 W. Bridge St., Wetumpka 567-5191 First Baptist of Elmore Hwy. 14 Co. Rd. 74, Elmore Galilee Baptist 95 Old Georgia Rd., Wetumpka 567-4178 Good Hope Baptist 1766 S. Fleahop Rd., Eclectic Goodship Baptist Hwy. 143, Millbrook Grace Baptist Old Montgomery Hwy., Wetumpka 567-3255 Grandview Pines Baptist Deatsville Hwy., Deatsville
REV. BOB HENDERSON Trinity Episcopal
But, just then, just when Satan thought he’d done it again, God pulled a fast one. On the first day of the week, Jesus rose from the dead and turned the devil’s joke back on him. As Jesus breathed in new life, God’s laughter must have boomed and resounded throughout the heavens and all the cosmos, as all the heavenly hosts joined Him in laughter at Satan’s expense. Laughing at the Devil even has a theological name: it is called the risus paschalis, “Easter laughter.” Easter is a great joke – the greatest joke of all time!! Easter reveals God as nothing else has ever done. Only God could draw the greatest good out of the
Green Ridge Baptist 288 Turner Rd., Wetumpka 567-2486 Harvest Baptist 2990 Main St., Millbrook Hillside Baptist 405 Old Montgomery Hwy., Wetumpka Holtville Riverside Baptist 7121 Holtville Rd., Wetumpka 514-5922 Lake Elam Baptist 4060 Gober Rd., Millbrook Liberty Hill Baptist 61 Crenshaw Rd., Wetumpka 567-8750 Lighthouse Baptist 2281 Main St., Millbrook Living Water Baptist 1745 Grass Farm Rd. (Co. Rd. 80), Weoka Millbrook Baptist Millbrook 285-4731 Mitts Chapel Baptist
Wetumpka Church of Christ 408 West Bridge Street
Jason Chesser Minister Sunday Prayer and Fellowship.......8:30 a.m. Bible Study.............9 a.m. Worship service...10 a.m. Wednesday Bible Study........7 p.m.
Visitors Welcome At All Services
greatest evil. Jesus’ resurrection turned the tables on death. It was the ultimate joke on Satan and death! Death is a disturbing thing. For much of human history (and today) people have had an attitude toward death somewhat like Woody Allen’s: “It’s not that I’m afraid to die. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” Where death had once been disquieting and fearful, the resurrection shows, as one Sunday School student put: “When you die, God takes care of you like your parents did when you were alive . . . only God doesn’t yell at you all the time.” The risus paschalis is the last laugh on evil and a joyous celebration of God’s triumph. The greatest joke of all time was God’s. So, how come we’re not laughing? The early Christians did – laugh that is. The Monday after Easter was the early Church’s
935 Cold Springs Rd., Deatsville 569-1952 Mt. Hebron West Baptist 150 Mt. Hebron Rd., Elmore 567-4441 Mountain View Baptist 1025 Rifle Range Rd., Wetumpka 567-4458 New Harmony Baptist 3094 New Harmony Rd., Marbury 312-1878 New Home Baptist 1605 New Home Rd., Titus 567-0923 New Hope Baptist 6191 Lightwood Rd., Deatsville 569-1267 New Lily Green Baptist 6504 Deatsville Hwy., Deatsville New Nazareth Baptist Hwy. 143, Deatsville Pleasant Hill Baptist Pleasant Hill Rd., Eclectic 541-3460 Prospect Baptist Prospect Rd., Eclectic 567-5837 Redland Baptist 1266 Dozier Rd., Wetumpka 567-8649
equivalent of April Fool’s Day which they called “Bright Monday.” People flocked to churches to tell jokes, play pranks, eat, sing and dance, throw water on their priest and each other. They laughed at Satan, they laughed at themselves, and they laughed in the joy of the resurrection joke. Unfortunately, during the Middle Ages (also called “The Dark Ages”), we Christians forgot the joke. Penance replaced joy, remorse replaced laughter and churches became gloomy, somber places. Our churches and church services desperately need to recover this spirit of joy and fun. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh. (Luke 6:22). Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified, is the time to weep; Easter is the time to laugh. When we think of what Jesus has done for us; when we think how surprised the devil must
Rehoberth Baptist 8110 Rifle Range Rd., Tallassee 567-9801 Rushenville Baptist 10098 Georgia Rd., Eclectic 541-2418 Saint James Baptist 1005 Nobles Rd., Wetumpka 567-6209 Saint James Baptist 101 Gantt Rd., Deatsville 569-3006 Santuck Baptist 7250 Central Plank Rd., Wetumpka 567-2364 Seman Baptist Seman, Alabama Shoal Creek Baptist 13214 Holtville Rd., Deatsville 569-2482 Springfield Baptist Hwy. 7, Millbrook Thelma Baptist 810 Weoka Rd., Wetumpka 567-3665 Titus Baptist 6930 Titus Rd., Wetumpka 334-531-2120
8000 Titus Road Titus, Ala.
Pastor Rickey Luster,
SundaySchool..........10:45 School....10:45 a.m. Sunday a.m. Morning Worship....9:30 a.m. Morning Worship........9:30 a.m. Children’s Church.... 9:30 a.m. Children’s Church.......9:30 a.m. Thur. Night Service....6:00 p.m. Wed. Night Service.....6:30 p.m. You will receive a warm You will receive a warm Welcome at this friendly, welcome at this friendly, Christ-centered Church. Christ-centered Church.
NURSERY PROVIDED PROVIDED FOR NURSERY FOR ALL SERVICES SERVICES ALL
Tunnell Chapel Baptist 210 Central Plank Rd., Wetumpka 567-2589 Victory Baptist 5481 Main St., Millbrook Wadsworth Baptist 2780 Hwy. 143, Deatsville 569-2851 BAPTIST - MISSIONARY Atkins Hill 565 Atkins Rd., Wetumpka 567-1141 Cathmagby Baptist 3074 Mitchell Creek Rd., Wetumpka 567-4787 First Missionary Baptist at Guilfield 412 Company St., Wetumpka 567-7455 Goodhope 1389 Willow Springs Rd. Wetumpka 567-7133 Lebanon 17877 U.S. Hwy. 231, Titus 514-1097 Mount Canaan
1125 Weoka Rd., Wetumpka 567-2141 Mount Pisgah 16621 U.S. Hwy. 231, Titus 567-3668 Mt. Zion 371 AL Hwy. 14, Elmore, 567-2613 Mt. Zion #3 1813 Luke Paschal Rd., Eclectic New Home 5130 Elmore Rd., Wetumpka 567-5966 Second Missionary 760 N. Bridge St., Wetumpka 567-8601 Spring Chapel Jasmine Hill Rd., Wetumpka 567-6493 Sweetwater 163 Michael Lane, Wetumpka 334-538-9415 Tabernacle Baptist 1020 W. Tallassee St., Wetumpka 567-0620 BAPTIST - PRIMITIVE Bethel Old School 4625 Jackson Rd. (C.R. 103), Wetumpka
100 W. Bridge St.
Sunday Services at 11 a.m.
Rev. Jonathan Yarboro
Minister Dr. John Brannon
Sunday School..9:45 am Morning Worship..11 am
There is Harmony at Harmony United Methodist Church!
567-8135 “In the name of the Lord Jesus – Welcome.”
Please join us.
Mountain View Baptist Baptist Church Church
11066 U.S. 231, Wallsbooro 11066 U.S. 231, Wallsboro
Rickey Luster, MusicDirector Director Music
Rev. Bob Henderson is the rector at Trinity Episcopal Church in Wetumpka.
First Presbyterian Church
Harmony United Methodist Church
Wallsboro United Wallsboro United Methodist Church Methodist Church Rev. Ryan Rev. Ryan Johnson Johnson Pastor
have been on Easter morning, smiles should be the norm, not the exception. And not just smiles, not just chuckles, but laughs – deep, loud, infectious belly laughs; the laughs of a people free from sin, free from death, free in the joy and love of a God who loves a joke as much as he loves us. Easter and Bright Monday are Holy April Fool’s days. The joke is on the devil, who thought Jesus was dead for good (or for evil, I guess). Easter shows that evil is no match for God as the resurrection made the devil a laughingstock. Lets not loose that joy, or that laughter. This Easter, have a good laugh. By the way, did you hear the one about . . .
567-4458 1025 Rifle Range Rd. 567-4458 1025 RiÀe Range Rd.
504 West West Osceola 504 OsceolaSt. St. 334-567-4729 334-567-4729
Anthony B. Counts, Pastor InterimWorship Pastor Leader Angie Gallups, Billy of Students AngieReinhardt, Gallups, Min. Worship Leader
Rev. Anthony Rhodes, Senior Pastor Rev. Anthony Rhodes Tammy Driver, Children’s Ministries Senior Pastor Sarah Swedenburg, Worship Ministries Tammy Student Driver:Ministries Derek Blankenship, Children's Director
Billy Reinhardt, Min. of Students SUNDAY Morning Worship.......10:30 SUNDAY School.............9:15 Sunday Morning Worship............10:30 Youth Choir ..................5:00 Evening Worship..........6:00 Sunday School.................9:15 WEDNESDAY Evening Worship..............6:00 Fellowship Meal............5:45 WEDNESDAY Preschool/Children’s Choirs.........................6:00 House of Prayer................6:00 House of Prayer............6:30 Preschool/Children’s Preschool/Children’s Missions............................6:00 Missions........................6:30 Youth Bible Youth BibleStudy.............6:00 Study.........6:30
SUNDAY SERVICES SUNDAY SERVICES Sunday School...........9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship.....10:30 School........9:30 a.m. a.m. Morning MorningWorship.......6:00 Worship...10:30p.m. a.m. Evening Evening Worship.....6:00 p.m. WEDNESDAY SERVICES WEDNESDAY SERVICES Prayer Meeting...........6:00 p.m. Supper.....................5:30 p.m. Choir PrayerRehearsal.........6:00 Meeting........6:15 p.m. p.m. Calvary Youth.............6:00 p.m. Choir Practice..........7:00 p.m. Calvary Kids.............6:00 p.m.
CEDARWOOD COMMUNITY CHURCH 10286 U.S. Hwy. 231 Wallsboro 567-0476 www.worshipcedarwood.org
Roger Olsen, Pastor Sunday Bible Study..........9:00 AM Sunday Worship.............10:00 AM We are a Congregational Christian Church which, in the name of Jesus, invites all to worship with us. Nursery Check out our Facebook page
Santuck Baptist Church
7250 Central Plank Road
“A Family of Families”
B.R. Johnson, Senior Pastor Larry Gore, Adm. & Counseling Randy Godfrey, Education Amy Pugh, Director of Children & Preschool Chad Middlebrooks, Students SUNDAY Sunday School............9 & 10:30 a.m. Worship........................9 & 10:30 a.m. Evening Celebration.................6 p.m. WEDNESDAY/FAMILY NIGHT Programs for every age 6:15 - 7:30 p.m.
Send your church news and happenings to: news@The Wetumpka Herald.com _________ JayneororShannon Molly CallCall Jayne at 567-7811 to advertise your church’s services in this space
THE WETUMPKA HERALD
TheWetumpkaHerald.com
MARCH 30, 2016 • PAGE 7
Spring Is In The Air!
Spring is one of the four seasons, and it brings mild, warmer weather. As the Earth revolves around the Sun (It takes one full year for it to completely rotate around the Sun one time.), the side of the Earth you live on, or hemisphere, is either closer to the Sun or farther away. The warmer weather is due to the closer distance to the Sun. The beginning of Spring is marked by the Vernal Equinox. An Equinox, which only happens twice a year, is the only day of the year when both day and night are the same length of time. In the Northern Hemisphere, we experience the Vernal EquiQR[ RU ÂżUVW GD\ RI 6SULQJ DURXQG 0DUFK ZKLOH LQ WKH 6RXWKHUQ +HPLVSKHUH RQ WKH RSSRVLWH VLGH RI WKH (DUWK WKH\ DUH KDYLQJ WKHLU ÂżUVW GD\ RI $XWXPQ 2XU 6SULQJ XVXDOO\ ODVWV XQWLO DURXQG the end of June when the hemisphere is even closer to the Sun, and the hot Summer weather arULYHV 'XULQJ 6SULQJ WKH Ă€RZHUV EORRP WUHHV RQFH DJDLQ KDYH JUHHQ OHDYHV SODQWV JURZ DQLPDOV EHFRPH DFWLYH DJDLQ DQG JDUGHQV DUH SODQWHG /RWV RI SHRSOH EHJLQ WR VSHQG PRUH WLPH RXWGRRUV while others “Springâ€? clean their homes.
Spring Animal Sudoku
Spring Word Find
Springtime brings animals out from their homes and shelters. Using the symbols shown (bear, frog, snail, and porcupine), complete the puzzle below. You are to have one of each symbol in each vertical and horizontal row, as well as only one of each symbol in each of the four bold box areas.
April’s Showers Umbrella Match
0DWFK WKH XPEUHOOD RQ LWV VLGH WR the umbrella that is fully shown.
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MARCH 30, 2016 • Page 11
UNDEFEATED Indians charge through Spring Break Tourney unscathed at 4-0 By CORY DIAZ Sports Editor
Wetumpka stampeded through the Wetumpka Spring Break Baseball Tournament this weekend, downing all competitors to come out unscathed at 4-0. Four different pitchers picked up wins and the team scored 38 runs in four contests, as the Indians (1112) defeated Holtville (9-2), Elmore County (7-3), Montgomery Academy (16-4) and Brew Tech (6-5 in eight innings). The Tribe had won just seven of its first 19 games, but head baseball coach Mark Davis said he felt his team could go undefeated against a deep tourney field. “I think our guys started playing together, making the routine plays and putting the ball in play,” Davis said. “We had some good outings by our pitchers. Everyone got to throw this week and we contributed as a whole team.” Senior righthander and Pensacola State College signee Cody Herring started the Wetumpka pitching staff off on the right foot, going six innings against Holtville, striking out nine while allowing just two runs on five hits. Sophomore Hayden Shepherd threw five frames, giving up three runs and fanning four in the win over Elmore County. Max Champion, who earned the save versus Elmore County, also collected a win, coming on in relief pitching a scoreless eighth inning against Brew Tech to give the Indians a chance to win. In the route of Montgomery Academy, lefthander Colin Smith picked up the victory, tossing just 3.1 hitless innings and striking out three. Holding opponents to five runs or less, Davis credited his staff for providing opportunities to win ballgames. “We felt like our pitchers did a great job. If we can
Cory Diaz / The Herald
Elmore County sophomore catcher Kadin Edwards (18) tags Wetumpka’s Hayden Shepherd (11) out at home while Trey McCreary (1) steps aside Friday during the Wetumpka Spring Break Baseball Tournament at Bazmore Field.
keep people under two, three runs a game, we should be in the game at the end,” he said. “I think they all have the ability to do it. We started our top four guys, then the next four, we rotated in at the end of the game. It was a whole team effort.” Offensively, Herring along with fellow senior and Samford University signee Ryan Crockett led the charge, going 7-for-14 and 6-for-13 for the tournament, respectively. Herring scored nine runs with two RBIs, while Crockett batted in four runs and tallied five more. Junior second baseman Dylan Norton had a team-high seven RBIs, while sophomore first baseman Payton Mixson added five RBIs. “Good things happen when you put the ball in the field and make the other team try to catch it. We did
well, especially the middle of the lineup,” David said. “The top of the order got on, and the middle put it in play to score runs.” Davis said he hopes the strong tourney performance gives the Tribe the confidence it needs as it enters the final stretch containing key area series. “It means a lot, and it’s something we definitely needed. Hopefully it gives us some confidence in our abilities and this week, we can go get three wins against Park Crossing and have a good chance to make the playoffs.” WHS traveled to Park Crossing Tuesday and will finish out the Class 6A, Area 5 series today at Bazemore Field.
Holtville hosts Ohio’s Upper Arlington By CORY DIAZ Sports Editor
Cory Diaz / The Herald
Edgewood Academy senior point guard Reggie Gee (24) was named an AISA Player of the Year finalist by the Alabama Sports Writers Association last week.
Gee named AISA Player of the Year finalist By CORY DIAZ Sports Editor
Reggie Gee could gather another postseason honor on April 6. Announced last week by the Alabama Sports Writers Association, the Edgewood Academy senior point guard was named a finalist for AISA Player of the Year, four days after securing an All-State FirstTeam selection. Gee, an Alabama State University signee, joined Restoration Academy’s Stephen Burgess and Russell Christian’s Xavier Heidelberg as finalists for the AISA’s top boys basketball player The winner will be crowned in Montgomery at the ASWA Basketball Awards Banquet next week. In his lone season with the Edgewood program after transferring in from Montgomery-Catholic, Gee guided the Wildcats to their first state championship since 2001. Gee earned state tournament MVP honors in the Wildcats’ 59-39 defeat Macon-East in the Class AA title contest. The 6-foot-3 combo guard averaged 24.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, stats he was unaware he was compiling during the season. Gee signed to play college basketball at ASU before the season started, becoming Edgewood’s first Division I basketball signee. “I feel like I accomplished everything I wanted to, winning a state championship, winning as many games as we could,” Gee said last week after being named to the All-State team. “With all the accolades, too, I’m happy about it.”
This past summer, Upper Arlington head baseball coach Tom Marker called Holtville coach Michael Dismukes for suggestions on a Birminghamarea team the Golden Bears could play on their trip to Alabama in March. The Columbus, Ohio baseball team was visiting multiple college programs, including the University of Alabama and Auburn University, and wanted a play date to wrap up its trip. The two coaches developed a relationship the last two summers at Vanderbilt University’s coaching camp, and when Dismukes got the call, he didn’t hesitate: “why don’t you guys come down and play us?” “He said, ‘they’d love to.’” Holtville and Upper Arlington squared off in a doubleheader Saturday at Smart-Collier Field, months after scheduling the date. In the season opening series, the Golden Bears swept the Bulldogs – who are three weeks away from the end of their regular season – 11-6 and 10-0, as two teams from two different regions of the country came together. “I didn’t know anything about their team or school. Our guys were really excited about playing a new team from out-ofstate, and kind of nervous about meeting them,” Dismukes said. “It was great.” After coming off a 9-2 loss to Wetumpka and an 8-1 win over Montgomery Academy in the Wetumpka Spring Break Tournament Friday and Saturday morning, the Bulldogs (15-10) fell behind early in both games versus the Golden Bears and couldn’t recover. Dismukes had a deep run in the Class 4A playoffs in
mind when scheduling Upper Arlington, drawing parallels between unfamiliarity and the strong pitchers Holtville will see in the later rounds. “I thought it was a really good opportunity to play somebody different. Because if we make a run at this thing, we’ll play teams we’ve never played before,” the coach said. “Doing that now, I think it might loosen the nerves to play somebody different, and I thought our guys were a good opponent for them because we have senior leadership. Our guys represented Holtville baseball well.” Marker and Upper Arlington
left Holtville impressed with the program, facilities – Upper Arlington doesn’t have lights – and its southern hospitality, Dismukes said; the coach hoped the Dawgs could’ve sent their new friends home to Ohio with a loss. “I thought we made a few more mistakes than I’d like, and I hope that was due to them being tired. We’ve got to concentrate more on that,” Dismukes said. “It didn’t turn out like I wanted it to, wins and losses, but it was a great experience. We saw good arms, it was a good weekend for us.”
Contributed/ The Herald
Holtville head baseball coach Michael Dismukes, right, poses with Upper Arlington head coach Tom Marker at dinner at Holtville Middle School the night before the teams squared off at HHS.
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SEHS sneaks past Elmore County to close out tourney By CORY DIAZ The Wetumpka Herald
Stanhope Elmore topped Elmore County, 7-5, Saturday to come out of the rain-shortened Wetumpka Spring Break Baseball Tournament unscathed. After beating Brew Tech, 8-4, Friday, the Mustangs finished 2-0 in the tourney with the win over the Panthers, but SEHS head baseball coach Josey Shannon was not happy with his team’s outing. “I think Brew Tech has a good ballclub with a lot of athletes,” Shannon said. “I don’t know why we had their number, but I was very disappointed with the way we performed against Elmore County. Not to mean anything personal, but Elmore County’s got a weaker team than they’ve had in the past. And we went out there and went through the motions. “We’re not good enough to beat anybody without 100 percent focus. We had a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting after that game.” Stanhope juniors Mark McGowin and Corevantae Graves led an offense that managed just six hits, but capitalized on seven errors from ECHS. McGowin had two hits and Graves drove in two runs on a hit. The Panthers’ Trey Thompson collected a gamehigh three RBIs on as many hits. Skyler Sanders added two RBIs as SEHS pitching struggled to find its groove. Trey Dunn got the start in the no-decision, giving up five runs in 3.2 innings-pitched, but junior Parker Head earned the win, throwing 3.1 frames in relief and not allowing any runs. Tied 5-5 in the bottom of the seventh, the
Cory Diaz / The Herald
Stanhope Elmore junior Mark McGowin (5) drives a ball into left center field against Brew Tech Friday during the Wetumpka Spring Break Baseball Tournament at Bazemore Field.
Mustangs scored the game-winning runs off Elmore County throwing errors. “You eliminate Elmore County errors, it would be a much different ballgame. They helped us,” Shannon said. “And we helped them; we walked three or four batters, we hit three or four. “The mental mistakes and being lackadaisical – against an area opponent or a good ballclub and we’re out of there in five innings. My point to the
team was we’re not good enough to take anybody for granted. We have to come everyday and be focused if we have any shot of making the playoffs. I was happy with the win, but I wasn’t happy the way we got it.” SEHS opened a Class 6A, Area 5 series hosting Carver-Montgomery Tuesday and will finish it with a doubleheader Thursday at Carver.
Weldon-Langley team wins BRHS Cheerleaders fishing tourney By MITCH SNEED Editor
The Benjamin Russell High School Cheerleaders welcomed more than 50 teams Saturday for their annual fishing tournament at Wind Creek State Park and after a long day on the water, a Wetumpka duo took top honors. The team of Trip Weldon and Felton Langley came in with a bag of five fish they weighed in at 17.36 pounds to take top prize. “We fished all over the lake,” Weldon said. “We fished from here to Kowaliga Bridge and most of what we caught was in shallow water. It was a pretty good day for us.” Langley said that all of their keepers were caught “blind.”
“A lot of people were sighting fish and then going after them,” Langley said. “But we were straight fishing blind and had a little luck.” The team of Jeremy Miller and Caleb Brown finished second with a weight of 16.71 pounds. The third place team was Chad and Jerry Newbolt with a weight of 16.44 pounds. In the team’s bag was the big fish of the day. The Newbolts boated a 9.67-pound largemouth, the largest fish by almost four pounds. Fourth place went to Don Belew and Norman Browning with 14.06 pounds of fish, while William Hodo and John Howard with five fish weighting 13.11 pounds finished fifth The event is one of the largest fundraisers for the cheerleading squads
Trip Weldon, right, and Felton Langley, left, came in with a bag of five fish that weighed in at 17.36 pounds to take top prize. Mitch Sneed / The Herald
each year. The group said the success wouldn’t have been possible without all of the sponsors who were so generous with their donations this year. The tournament was one of three held at Wind Creek State Park Saturday. The OSG Tournament Trail held one of its five tournaments at Lake Martin this year on Saturday. The team of Jeremy Miller and Caleb Brown took home top honors with five fish for a total weight of 16.41 pounds. If the names sound familiar, the team was entered in both tournaments and had taken second in the BRHS Cheerleading Tournament. Norman Browning and Don Belew were second
I N D I A N S
and Chad and Jerry Newbolt took third. The Fishers of Men also held a tournament on Saturday. Twenty-one teams from four states converged on Lake Martin for the tournament. In all, 60 fish were brought to the scales for a total of 100.35 pounds. First place and first in bonus bucks went to the Hopper father and son team with their three-fish limit of 8.27 pounds, including big fish at 3.33 pounds. Second place and second and bonus bucks went to the team of Ledford and Hatten with 7.71pounds. Third place went to the Cook father and son team with 6.31 pounds.
• Cody Herring • Wetumpka • Won a game on the mound, striking out nine, and batted .500 (7-for-14) while scoring nine runs to help the Indians finish the Wetumpka Spring Break Tournament undefeated (4-0).